Question

David read with interest a recent newspaper article about a string of murders in his hometown. The suspect in the murders has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. David now believes that most mentally ill people are dangerous and should be locked up. David's overestimation of the relationship between mentally ill individuals and aggressive tendencies is referred to as a(

Answer 1

Answer:

- Illusory correlation

Explanation:

'Illusory correlation' is characterized as the process in which an individual discerns a false association between two or more events or variables due to an intuitive bias leading to a wrong deduction/judgment.

In the given example, David is subject to 'illusionary correlation' where he mistakenly associates the 'murders' suspect being detected with schizophrenia to all the people who are mentally ill as aggressive and dangerous.' This perceptual bias leads him to reach an erroneous conclusion that all mentally ill people must be locked up. Thus, David's overestimation exemplifies an 'illusory correlation.'